17 members attended and the total bird count was plus 45.
Maybe not the best day we have had at Bayhead but we had some really great sightings. The Osprey was hunting over the bay and flew up and down over the ships before disappearing up the hill towards Howard College. Then out of the blue came the Black Sparrowhawk and she had just caught a Rock Dove and was flying back towards the mangroves – maybe to the nest? (we all agreed had to be a female as she was rather large!). The Fish Eagle gave us a fly by and we had YBK’s sitting in the mangroves. Masses of Blacksmith Lapwings, Grey-headed Gulls and Pink-backed Pelicans – otherwise it was hard work and only as the tide turned did the waders start to fly in and then not in great numbers. We had Grey Plovers, Greenshanks, a couple of Terek Sandpipers, Curlew & Common Sandpipers. Then a group of us retired to Buds and enjoyed ice cold beers and prawn curries – an excellent way to end a morning’s birding.
Thanks to John Bremner, Penny de Vries and Dave Rimmer for the photos.
Cheers Elena
